This cheap, strong paper bag can be reused, then turned into biofuel

We use a massive five trillion plastic bags every year, and they’re in the top five of all plastic products found in the natural environment. However, paper doesn’t fare any better, with many studies including a 2020 UNEP report citing the environmenta… Continue reading This cheap, strong paper bag can be reused, then turned into biofuel

Shellmet helmet is made of scallop shells – plus it looks like one

Scallops’ soft bodies are well-protected by their hard shells, so … could those same shells protect human heads? That question was asked by the Japanese designers of the Shellmet, which is a helmet made partially of scallop shells.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Shellmet helmet is made of scallop shells – plus it looks like one

Chemical “breaking points” let new type of plastic biodegrade in days

Plastics are made to last, which is great while they’re being used but not so great after they’re discarded. Now chemists at the University of Konstanz have developed a new kind of plastic that has all the durability of regular plastic, but biodegrades… Continue reading Chemical “breaking points” let new type of plastic biodegrade in days

3 million bottles worth of microplastics falling on Auckland each year

The more scientists hone their techniques when it comes to studying plastic pollution, the more we understand about the way it moves through the environment, and it can often make for some uncomfortable reading. Researchers in Auckland have used advanc… Continue reading 3 million bottles worth of microplastics falling on Auckland each year

Chemistry breakthrough creates usable products out of unrecyclable PVC

Advances in chemistry continue to bring new materials into the realm of recyclability, and new work from a team at the University of Michigan has taken aim at one of the most problematic to reuse. The scientists have developed a method of converting wa… Continue reading Chemistry breakthrough creates usable products out of unrecyclable PVC

Study finds blue whales eat some 10 million microplastic particles a day

We know that marine animals of all sizes are inadvertently consuming plastics as they move through the ocean, but what does this diet look like for the largest of them all? To answer this question, scientists at Stanford University have analyzed the fo… Continue reading Study finds blue whales eat some 10 million microplastic particles a day

Efficient new catalyst converts mixed plastic waste into propane

Plastic waste is one of the most pressing environmental problems of our time, and sorting different types makes recycling tricky. Now, engineers at MIT have developed an effective new catalyst that breaks down mixed plastics into propane, which can the… Continue reading Efficient new catalyst converts mixed plastic waste into propane